Saturday, July 16, 2011

Don't chew that! Crib rail cover... a mini tutorial

I found teeth marks on the crib....gasp! It was maybe a week after hubby came home and told me that a friend of his at work told him "just wait, she'll start chewing the crib rail now that she can stand up in the crib", he was right. Now, I know I could buy those plastic thingies....but #1 - I hate shopping, #2 - I like an excuse to get crafty with complete justification as to why I'm shirking my other duties, like dishes, or cooking, #3 - I I really think the fabric ones are cuter, #4 - I'm cheap...and I like to trick myself into thinking I'm thrifty, by using things that I shouldn't have bought in the first place :p

So, I gathered some supplies, I had this beautiful ribbon from Stampin Up that I got off the clearance rack (I think)

I had a big white sheet, that I was going to use as the underlayer of Pickle's crib skirt...the one that I didn't actually sew...I just draped it over the bottom of the crib, and I had the pink curtain that I bought on sale also to use for Pickle's room... I covered a footrest with the other one, and I was going to sew a couple of big pillow covers for floor pillows....thinking story time type stuff.

Now this part was hard to let go of.... the quilt batting...that is supposed to go into a quilt for Pickle...and I got it on sale.... but...it's replaceable.

Down to work: I measured the crib. The length of the front bar was 51 inches...., and the distance around was about 11 or 11 1/2 inches...I decided on 11 1/2 inches so that it would be easy to tie.

The side pieces were 27 inches long, and 6 1/2 inches around, with a wee bit of ease for tying.

I used at 1/2 inch seam allowance for everything, and my top stitching was done at 1/4 inch.

I layed out the sheet, folded in half lengthwise, cut the hem off the bottom of the sheet.

Then cut a strip of fabric 12 1/2 inches wide (distance around front rail, plus one inch for seam allowances).

I wanted that strip to be 52 inches long (51 inches plus one inch for seam allowances), so I cut the folded piece to 26 inches (no! don't cut the fold :)

Here is where I pick up again....you see...this tutorial was started months ago...but never got finished....since I simply won't find the time anytime soon...I'm just going to publish (terrible right?!!?!) perhaps I'll find the time to come back and edit....make this a proper tutorial...but until then... the rest is mostly pictures :(

So, I cut my quilt batting, lining, and pretty fabric all the same size... (as described above)

I actually ended up using the wrong side of my curtain as the right side...because it was a more saturated pink...and looks all satiny.... instead of the brushed false suede stuff.....

So...right sides together of your lining, and pretty fabric...then layer your quilt batting on top

Stitch all around the outside, leaving a space for turning. I used a 1/2" seam allowance. Then trim the quilt batting around very close to the stitching all the way around.

Turn it right side out, and tuck in the seam allowance from that gap you left open...give it a nice press, then stitch all the way around the outside, I topstiched 1/4" from the edge all the way around, make sure that you close up that gap that was left for turning when you stitch this...

Now, this part you'll have to figure out for your crib. You want to lay the cover over the crib rail, and lay your ribbons over the top to make sure that they'll line up with the gaps between your crib rails.... well...you could just guess, and they'll be close...but if you're perfectionisty, and you want things to lay perfectly flat...you'd better go check (don't do this during nap time, and guess, and assume it will be right, and then get grumpy when it's not, and have to rip it all out because you know it will drive you crazy.... don't do that...no...that won't make you happy....not that I did that or anything :P)

OK once you've got them all layed out and pinned where you want them, just stitch them down.... on thick ribbons I stitched down both sides...but...I had a couple that had a gather down the middle...so I followed the stitching line from the gathering thread and sewed them down that way. I had the ties extend 6" from each side for tying..... I didnt' want them to be too long, as I was worried that long ties wouldn't be safe. As is, almost the whole tie is used for the knot. So nothing extra left to be dangly and dangerous :)

So...here they are! Here's another tip....more ties... the crib rail on this end is apparently VERY tasty...I've added extra pretty ties to that part...and it's much better now. She had figured out how to pull it up and chew underneath it!!! So...yes.... more ties!